Film-feeding mechanism for cinematographs



Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,593

H. SEUFERT FILM FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CINEMATOGRAPHS Filed Nov. 2, '1922 F6, a Z

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

HERMANN sEUrERr, or BROOKLYN, New YORK.

Application filed November 2, 1922. Serial No. 598,481. i

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that I, I-InnMANN SEUFERT, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film- Feeding Mechanism for Cinematographs, of which the following is a specification.

In cinematographic machines, the apparatus for feeding the film bands, as hitherto constructed, have the drawback that the socalled dark period or the time during which the film is advanced is comparatively too long or if that time by some mechanism is shortened, this takes place at the cost of a very rapid wear of the feeding mechanism.

One object of this invention is toprovide means which will considerably shorten the dark periods and minimize the wear of the whole mechanism.

Another object is to provide means for reducing the noise caused by the moving parts of the machine.

The invention will be clearly and fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts and in which Fig. 1 is a section on line 11 of Fig. 2 showing the feeding mechanism enclosed in a casing to render it noiseless and Fig. 2 is a section on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing only sov much of the cinematograph machine is shown as is necessary to understand the subject matter of the present invention.

denotes a casing composed of sections 10. 10 and 10 the latter serving as a base and 10 as a front cover for the box shaped section 10. These sections when tightly joined together after the parts to be herein after described are assembled, form a box in which the noise of the moving parts of the mechanism is muffled.

Rotatively mounted in the casing 10 on a fixed horizontal axle 11 is a hollow drum 12 which at one end is formed with a removable lid 13 and at the opposite end has fixed to it or is formed integrally with a gear 14. This gear is adapted to mesh with a pinion 15 keyed t0 the spindle 16 carrying the fly wheel 17 and which may be driven from a motor (not shown) or otherwise. Projecting inwardly into the drum from the rear wall thereof are a plurality of equidistantly arranged projections 18 (four in the present example) on which are slidably mounted catches or pins 19, the rear ends 19 of which are in form of sleeves slidablybearing on said projections 18." The forward ends of said pins 19 are slidably guided in-sockets 13formed in the cover 13"of the drum. Each of these slidable pins carries afixed cross pin 20 on'which is rotatively mounted a roller 21. Keyed to the fixed axle ill' of the drum is ardisk 22fornied with'a cam portion 23 facing and cooperating with said rollers 21. The pins are actuated by springs 24 mounted around the projections 18 so that the rollers 21 will be held in frictional contact with the cam bearingsurface of the disk 22. When during the rotation of the drum 12 said rollers 21 arrive opposite the cam portion 23, the latter will permit the pins 19 to be thrust forwardly under the action of the springs 24. Rotatively mounted on the axle 11 in proximity to the lid 13 -of. the drum 12 is'also a disk 25, which is formed with a circular series of equidistantly arranged perforations 26 capable of engaging the free ends of the pins 19 when projected forwardly, as aforesaid, under the action of the springs 24. The distance be tween the individual pins 19 and that between adjoining perforations 26 conform with the length of a film picture. Consequently during the rotation of the drum 12, the movable pins 19 will successively enter the perforations 26 and feed the disk 25 a fraction of rotation conforming with the length of a picture. This rotation will be transmitted to the feed roller (not shown) mounted on the spindle 27 through the medium of a 28 opcratively connected to the disk 25 and meshing with a pinion 29 mounted on said spindle 27.

In the present example the gear 28 is fixed on a sleeve like extension 25 of the hub of the disk 25 which is rotatively mounted in the lid section 10 of the casing. In practice the gear 28 and pinion 29 are also arranged within the casing instead of outside, so that their movements also may be noiseless.-

The film guide rollers (not shown) which are adapted to be mounted on the spindles 30, 31 receive motion from the driven spindle 16 through the gears 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 in the usual manner.

What I claim is 1. In a film feeding mechanism for a cinematograipln theQ jcOiinbiiratioi with the spindle for the film feed roller, of a continuously revolving closed drum, aset of catch members and a cam in said drum, said cam be ing adapted to actuate said catch members and means operativelyconnected to said spindle and adapted to be successively revolved by said catch members to feed the film ,eachtime the length of a picture.

H 2, In a film'fe'eding mechanism for a cinematographfihe combination with the spindle for the film feed roller, of a continuously rQVQlving hollow drum, a set ofe'quidistantly arranged catch'members carried by and proj ectin'g inwardly from said drum, a cam member inside said drum and adapted to intermittentlyactuate said catch members and means operatively connected to said spindleand adapted to be successively revolved by said catch members to feed the film each time the length of a picture.

3. In a film feeding mechanism for a cinematograph, the combination with the spindle for the film feed roller, of a continuously ievol vingholl'ow di'iiiiifa set of equidistantly arranged resilient catch members carried by and projecting inwardly from said drum, a-

cam member inside said drum adapted to intermittently actuate said catch members, means operatively connected to said spindle and adapted to be successively revolved by said catch members to feed the fihn each time the length of a picture, and a tightly closed casing enclosing the aforenamed parts'to 'muffie the noise thereof during opra o In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses v 7 HERMANN SEUFERT. Witnesses: I

MAX G. ORDMAN,

J OSEPH T. McMAHoN. 

